Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 70.33
Liaison Enid Cardinal
Submission Date March 3, 2022

STARS v2.2

Rochester Institute of Technology
IN-49: Innovation C

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Neha Sood
Assistant Director for Campus Sustainability
RIT Sustainability
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Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Strategic Partnership with Division of Diversity & Inclusion

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:

RIT Sustainability has partnered with RIT's The Division for Diversity and Inclusion to offer programs that focus on expanding awareness about the intersectionality of sustainability and DEI. Current program offerings include:

1) Cultural Humility Certificate for employees to advance their personal understanding of multi-cultural perspectives, confront biases, and reduce micro-aggressions: https://www.rit.edu/diversity/sites/rit.edu.diversity/files/documents/DiversityEducationGraphic3.pdf

RIT Sustainability partners on this initiative and provides a workshop titled "Equity, Sustainability, and the Environmental Movement", which focuses on educating employees about sustainability from an environmental and social justice perspective. Over 125 employees have completed this workshop, and have taken measures to address injustice through everyday workplace decisions - such as minimizing consumption and waste, purchasing fair trade products, and supporting local businesses.

2) Breaking Bread: Circles - Group dialogues among 15 individuals (faculty, staff and students) to engage in an intentional practice of dialoguing across difference of identity, experience and opinion over a 5-week period. Topics include "Sustainability and You: Building a Better World" and "Can the climate crisis be solved, or are we just kidding ourselves?"

3) Gray Matter: Gray Matter is a monthly discussion series designed to promote critical exploration of provocative topics related to higher education and the RIT campus community. Sustainability-focused topics include "Is it time to despair for our climate" and "Is climate change racist?"


A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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